Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-06-24
BETWEEN TWO STOOL s

Up at the hall there was general
commotion. Mr.. Westley, the owner of
Westley Grange, had come pretty nearly
to the end of his tether. He had but
lately succeeded to the estate, and it had
come to him very heavily encumbered; !;
and now, with reduced rents, irregularly
pdd, he found it impossible to 90 on.
lie had, therefore, determine to spend a
couple of years on the continent, during
which time he hoped that the agricu-
tural depression would pass away.
The establishment at the hall was not
a large one by any means for country
bachelor squire, but it was larger than
he could aft 'rd to keep up under exist
ing circumstances. So one evening he
called his servants together and told them
how matters were with hin. add
them seek other situations at ence.
His personal servant, Ben Bieoins
was not included in the general dismiss
sal, but was destined to accompany his
master abroad. Ben was one Of. those
men not unfIcqucntly met with in this
country--a man who could turn his
hand to most things, though he might
be no good at any. The position he
held at Westley Grange was a cross be-
tween valet and gamekcepcr, but at
odd timas ho h ad Laar I-,,1...
his masters dinner and make his mas
ter's bed. This was during a grou ing
expedition on the Welsh hills. but the
rumor of it hal travelled to Westlev.
Ben was in high spirits when he was
tod OF the journey in store for him.
''Pll teach these foreigners a thing or
two," he said to the cook one night; to
which she replied: You be very care
full, Mr.. Ben, that they dol't teach you
more than you teach them. "
"Themr" he cried; '4hcm teach me-
Why, l could wallop the lot of 'em, if !
wanted TO-"
"Then you mind you don't want to, .
she answered.
why, you knows very 0el," con-
tinucd Ben, 'that / set your watch
a-going after james, the matchmaker.
had it month, and couldn't make
nothing Of it; and | etopppd the blue
bedroom chimbly smoking, when the
smoke had nearly druv you all out Of
the place."
Rubbish" she said. 'The watch
only wanted winding; and as for the
chimbly, it smoked because there was
a bag of straw in it. You needn't crow
over them things, young man."
Yes, there was little i'll feeling on
the part of the cook toward Ben. She
had claimed him for her own originally.
but Ben had fought shy; and lattcrly he
had been paying a good deal of atten-
tion to Anna, the housemaid at the
rectory. Either fault alone, on Bcn's
part, would have made the cook some
what aggrieved toward him, but the
two combined were more than culinary
flesh and b'ood could stand. Thus ii
happened that her tongue had an access
of acerbity when moving at Ben.
Down at the rectory the commotiou
was nearly as general. The servants dis
oussed the situation from morning till
night, and Anna received many unpcas-
ant jeers.
"stick to youl9 said the coachman;
mot he. Them sort never stick to moth
ing but their baccy. When you says
good by to Ben, you says good-by for
ever. my lass"
He can please himself she said; bui
if he thinks ! shall die broken-hearted
because he takes on with some foreign
girl, he's very much mistook."
That's always the way with you
women folk. You talks as big as big,
and when it comes to, you doubles up
to nothing. There was that gal O. SIN
mond's-her as kept company with that
keeper fellow. Look how her hrazened
it out when they found he'd left a wife
in Wales, and her died of consumption
in less than year.
But Ben and mes Different said
Anna. '1f he's not in earnest, no more
aren't L" Which was perhaps consola-
tory.
The time slipped rar dIy ly. and il
wanted but day till BE- and his mas